Current State of Mathematics and Science

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Current State of Mathematics and Science
Education in the United States
Pat OConnell Ross Office of Elementary and
Secondary Education United States Department of
Education
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Skill Level Changes
Skilled 20
Unskilled 15
Unskilled 60
Professional 20
Skilled 65
Professional 20
1950
1997
National Summit on 21st Century Skills for 21st
Century Jobs
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Losing Our Edge?

• New Participants in World Economy
• Over Last Five Years
• China, India and Russia
• Total population three billion people
• 10 percent highly educated300 million
• USA 300 million 20 percent highly educated
  60 million

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Losing Our Edge?

• Last year, more than 600,000 engineers graduated
  from institutions of higher education in China,
  compared to 350,000 in India and 70,000 in the
  United States.
• American 12th graders performed below the
  international average for 21 countries on general
  knowledge in mathematics and science.
• The cost of employing one chemist or engineer in
  the United States is equal to employing about
  five chemist in China and 11 engineers in India.

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Percentage of population with a postsecondary
credential
Losing Our Edge?
55-64
45-54
35-44
25-34
Education at a Glance OECD Indicators 2003
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U.S. Student Achievement in Mathematics and
Science

• TIMSS 2003 Mathematics and Science Grade 8
• Mathematics score of 504 exceeded international
  average of 466
• Science score of 527 exceeded international
  average of 473
• Significant improvement in mathematics and
  science between 1995 and 2003
• BUT we were outperformed by 7 of the 13 other
  countries in mathematics and 5 of the 13 0ther
  countries in science.

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PISA 2003 Mathematics Literacy
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U.S. Student Achievement in Mathematics and
Science

• NAEP 2002 Math Assessment
• 12th Graders Scoring Below Basic
• 35 percent of all students
• 56 percent of Hispanic students
• 69 percent of African-American students
• 60 percent of low-income students
• The population of young adults will grow by 3
  million and 56 percent of them will be minority
  students. They are underrepresented in higher
  level mathematics and science classes. (U.S.
  Census Bureau)

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The fastest growing jobs often require a solid
mathematics or science background.

• Many of todays occupations require solid math
  skills. (Murnane and Levy)
• Of the 20 fastest-growing occupations projected
  through 2010, 15 of them require substantial
  mathematics or science preparation.
• (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

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Opportunities to Attend College and Enter High
Wage Professions

• The earnings of young adults with at least a
  bachelors degree increased over the past 20
  years relative to their counterparts who have
  less education. (National Center for
  Education Statistics)
• Students with higher-level mathematics skills
  earn more (up to double). (National Center for
  Education Statistics)
• Scientists and engineers earn higher salaries
  and are employed at very high rates. (National
  Science Board)
• Students of all income levels who take rigorous
  mathematics and science courses in high school
  are more likely to go to college. (U.S.
  Department of Education)

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College remediation ratesEntering freshmen, 2000
Source NCES, Remedial Education at
Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions in
Fall 2000,
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Student and Public Perception of Mathematics and
Science

• Public opinion calls for better science and
  mathematics education in schools.
• 93 say students need stronger science
  education.
• 85 want this to be a top priority for their
  governor.
• College students wish they had a stronger
  pre-college mathematics and science education.
• (Bayer Corporation)

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The Need for Mathematics and Science Teachers

• Projections show a need for over 2 million new
  teachers in this decade, of which 240,000 will be
  middle and high school mathematics and science
  specialists. (National Center for Education
  Statistics,
• National Commission on Mathematics, and
• Science Teaching for the 21st Century)
•  State-level reports indicate high levels of need
  for mathematics and science teachers.
• (National Association of State Boards of
  Education)

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Current State of Teacher Quality

• Teacher quality linked to student mathematics
  performance. (Sanders and Rivers)
• A sizeable number of mathematics and science
  teachers do not have a major or minor in their
  field, especially those who teach in high-poverty
  and high-minority schools. (National Center for
  Education Statistics)

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Mathematics and Science Partnership Program
Funding History
FY 03 100 million FY 04 150 million FY
05 180 million

• Program Overview
• State formula grants. States make competitive
  awards.
• Partnerships between math, science, and
  engineering faculty of IHE and high need
  schools.
• Others may be included.
• Evidence of impact on teacher content knowledge
  and student achievement.

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Mathematics and Science Partnership Program
MSP Targets
Math 50.8 Science 26.3 Math and Science 22.9
Number of Teachers Served in MSPs
No. of Teachers Percent Less than or equal to
25 30.0 26 50 23.6 51-100 20.4 101-150
9.2 151-200 3.6 201-250 4.4 Greater than
250 8.8
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Title I Math Initiative
Collaborative effort to improve mathematics
achievement of students in high poverty, low
performing schools. Three basic assumptions on
the underlying problems or challenges to
improving mathematics instruction in high
poverty, low performing schools Students cant
learn what theyve never been taught. Teachers
cant teach what they do not understand. Students
cant perform well on high stakes exams if they
are not exposed to conceptually high curricula
material.
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Title I Math Initiative Activities

• Bring together the math community and the Title I
  community to discuss challenges and barriers in
  mathematics education in Title I programs.
• Provide tools to Title programs that are
  struggling to improve their mathematics
  achievement.
• Determine the key elements of a strategic plan
  designed to improve the mathematics achievement
  of students in high poverty, low performing
  schools.
• Work with States to provide assistance.

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Contact Information
For more information please contact Pat
OConnell Ross 400 Maryland Avenue, SW FB-6,
3W101 Washington, DC 20202 Patricia.Ross_at_ed.gov
http//www.ed.gov/programs/mathsci/resources.html